Semirimless spectacle mounting having flexible lens retainers



N. c PPELL 2,516,549 SEMIRIML SP ACLE MOUNTING HAVING FLEX RETAINERS Filed 1947 July 25, 1950 HA ECT IBLE LENS Oct. 20,

Fly 6.

W wwwflwir Q 3| INVENTOR.

3o N W CHAPPELL BY QLW Patented July 25, i950 SEMIRIMLESS SPECTACLE MOUNTING HAV- ING FLEXIBLE LENS RETAINERS 7 Norman W. Chappell, London, England Application October 20, 1947, Serial No. 780,963

1 Claim.

This invention relates to spectacles and more particularly to an improved means for supporting the lens on a partial-frame.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mounting means for a spectacle lens the lens depends and is wholly supported or suspended from the top bar.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved lens mounting means of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter,-

so constructed and arranged that the lens is supported from the top bar in such a manner that the eye or lens wire or frame may be terminated closely adjacent the upper endof the side edges of the lens so that an improved and enlarged field of vision may be obtained by the elimination of the ordinary frame at the lower portions of the sides and lower edges of the lens.

Still another object of this invention is toprovide an improved lens mounting means of this kind which is readily adaptable to volume manufacturing methods.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lens mounting means of this kind in which the lens is supported about the complete outer edge thereof, the supporting means about the side and bottom edges of the lens being substantially invisibly concealed within the edges of the lens'and those portions of the top bar with which the supporting means is engaged.

Still another object of this invention is to proaround and embedding said ends.

Still .a further object of this invention is to provide an ophthalmic mounting of this kind in which a length of, wire is carried by the partial lens rims or frames for supporting engagement with the lower edges of the lens, the wire engaging in openings through the rims and secured by an enlargement on the ends of the wire formed 2 by suitable means such as a drop of solder for wedging the ends of the wire in the rims.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away of an ophthalmic mounting constructed according to an embodiment of this invention";

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away and partly in section of one side of the partial frame; v

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed section of the nasal bar of the partial frame;

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly broken away showing a length of resilient lens supporting member removed from the frame, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away of a metal lens supporting member removed from the frame.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally an improved spectacle or lens frame for removably supporting the lens I I from a partial frame. The mounting I0 comprises a top bar portion or member l2 of a partial frame which extends across the frame and over both of the lenses including a top bar l4 immediately above each of the lenses connected together by a bridge IS. The mounting I0 is formed with a. depending temple arm IS on the outer end of each of the top bars I4 and nasal bar I! depending from the inner end or side of each top bar l4 and the ends of bridge I 5 at the juncture thereof. The temple bars I6 depend from the outer ends of the top bars 14 for only a short distance and the nasal bars or arms I! depend from the inner ends of the top bars I4 for a distance slightly greater than the length of the temple arms 16.

The partial frame lfl'is preferably made of Zylo or other suitable composition material ormetal. The lenses II are adapted to be secured in the partial frame In between the nasal and temple arms [6 and engaging the topbar 14. The bar 14 of the partial frame having the top portion or member [2 and arms [6 and I! are formed with a groovelll along the inner edge thereof "give a delicate hue to theedge of the within which the upper edge of the lens H is adapted to be engaged.

The arms [6 and I? depend from the bar M in a slightly convergent manner downwardly for partially clamping the lens H therebetween. As the lens H requires a more secure support than the frictional or clamping engagement afiorded by the arms 16 and 17, there is prowded a flexible resilient lens supporting member is embracin the lower edge portion of the lens and engageable at its ends in the temple arm l6 and the nasal arm I! and engaging within a groove about the lower edge of the lens. The lens I5 is formed with a peripheral groove 28 about the side edges thereof and the lower edge below the arms l6 and H, the upper end portions of groove 20 extending up partially within the lower portions of the arms Hi and H as shown in Figure 2. The supporting member i9 is adapted to be concealingly engaged within the groove 26 of the lens H giving the appearance that the lens is supported solely from the partial frame It). The upper edge of the lens l l is provided with a substantially triangular bevel 2! engageable in the groove 'or recess N3 of the arms l5 and ii and top bar 14, For engagement and anchoring of the ends of the supporting member IS in the supporting arms :6 and ii each of the arms is provided with an opening as 22 and 24 therein both inclined downwardly and inwardly from the out er to the inner edges of the arms toward the op posite side edges of the lens. The opening 22 in the nasal arm 5'! is extended through the arm at a downwardly and inwardly inclined position.

The opening '22 like opening 24 each is substani tially 'frusto-conical in shape having the divergent inwardly' tapered or outwardly flared enlarged outer end portion thereofdisposed inwardly of or within the outer edges of the arms [6 and ll of the frame H3. The opening 22 is provided with a reduced diameter inner section 25 and openings 24 and 22extend to theinside or inner edges of-the arms 16 and ll of frame at the lower portions of groove l8 immediately adjacent the lens H and upper ends of the groove 20 in the lens edge.

The flexible supporting member or strand IQ for the lens maybe 'made of various materials and preferably I use a nylon thread which is suitably resilient, elastic or stretchable, tough and strong and provides a satisfactory support for the lens. As the'nylon is a material having substantially the same characteristics as the Zylo from which the frame is made and as the nylon is substantially colorless, it will provide a practi- 'callyi'nvisible support for the lens. Alternatively the nylon may be dyed to any colour to lens or to mate with thelensor frame. The nylon thread however issubject to cracking orbeingotherwise severed on folding the thread sharplyw For this reason, the openings 22 and 24 are inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the. lens through the arms l6 and H. In this manner the nylon thread is smoothly faired from the openings into thegroove 20 of the lens or fromthe groove 20 into and through the openings 22 and. 24 without abrupt or sudden angular deviation to prevent weakening, fracture or breaking. of the thread at such points. For securing the nylon thread in the opening a wedge may not be used as this will materially deteriorate the thread at the point of contact. Preferably Iknot the 'end of the thread as indicated by the numeral26 in Figure 5. The knot 26 will 4 1 then be countersunk or disposed within the enlarged outer portion of the opening 22 and may be secured therein by a composition of Zylo and acetate or other material suitable for sealing the knot smoothly within the arms at the outer surfaces thereof. In the original installation of the nylon thread 21, threads of predetermined length are initially formed and a knot 26 is formed on one end thereof.

The free unknotted end of the thread 2'! is initially trained through the opening 22 and restricted portion or reduced diameter inner section 25 therein of the nasal bar I]. The free end of the thread 21 is then engaged through the restricted opening 28 and flared or enlarged outer end portion of opening 24 of the temple bar l6 and a knot 26 is formed on the free end. Both knots 26 are then firmly embedded tightened or wedged in the enlarged outer portions of the openings and are secured therein by the sealing material'or plastic cementitious composition as described above.

For engaging the lens ll within the partial frame the upper edge of the lens is initially engagedin the groove 18 of the frame. The nylon thread 27 is then slid over the edge of the lower end of the lens for engagement within the groove 20. The nylon thread 27 is originally of a length "slightly less than the length of the edge of the lens with which it is to engage so that the thread must be slightly stretched and will resiliently support the lens on the frame.

For removing the thread 2? a pin or other pointed or sharp edged tool may be used for dislodgin the,thread from the groove 20 at which time the lens may then be slid downwardly from the partial frame. While the nylon thread is deemed preferable a short length of suitably resilient wireas 30 may also be used for the supporting member of the lens. The partial frame as described above is exactly the same as that used for the nylon thread. In the use of a length of resilient wire 30 the wire is originally cut to a determined length. The free ends of the wire 30 will then engage in the openings 22 and 24 between the arms IB and l 'l. Anenlarged end as 3| is formed on the free ends of the wire 30 as by drops of solder or the like and the enlargement will engage within the enlarged openings 22 and 24. The drops of solder or other enlargements on the ends of the wire are made and located before the lens H is applied. The drops of solder 3| are wholely contained within the openings 22 so that there will be no projections from the arms I6 and H. The lens is inserted by firstly engaging the wire in the groove in the lens, warming the xylonite and then springing the lens into the top bar while it is still resilient with the heat. In both instances the supporting member designated generally as I9 will be substantially contained within the groove 20 of the lens where it is substantially concealed from view and gives the appearance that the lens is wholely supported at its upper edge within the partial frame.

Alternatively the nylon can first be engaged in the groove running round the lower edge of the lens and by exerting pressure on the lens in a downward direction the nylon can be stretched and the upper part of the lens sprung into the top bar,

I claim:

An ophthalmic mounting comprising a, frame including upper lens rims having v-shaped grooves in the lower sides thereof, depending temple flanges at the outer ends of said rims, depending nasal flanges at the inner ends of said rims, a bridge connecting the inner ends of said rims together, said temple and nasal flanges also having V-shaped grooves, a lens for each rim having a bevelled upper edge seated in said grooves and having an edge groove about the lower portion thereof extending from said bevelled edge, each of said temple flanges having a downwardly and inwardly inclined opening with each opening formed at its outer upper end with a flared opening, each of said nasal flanges having a downwardly and inwardly inclined opening with said latter openings being flared at their upper ends, and a flexible lens retainer seated in said lens groove and engaging at the opposite ends thereof in said temple flange and nasal flange openings, each retainer being formed with an enlargement at each end thereof engaging in said flared opening,

NORMAN W. CHAPPELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number 15 Number Date 

